Card filing equipment



Now. l, 19019 y G. c. BRUEN CARD FILING EQUIPMENT Filed May ll, 1946PATENT OFFICE 2,486,820 CARD FILING EQUIPMENT George C. Bruen, decea bySophie E. Brixen,

signor of seventy and said Sophie E. Bruen,

Highland Park, Sarah M. Bullock, Wi tenths per cent to G. two per centto Jay Dickinson,

per cent to sed, late of Chicago, Ill., executrix,

Chicago, Ill., as-

five-tenths per cent to five per cent to Edna V.

Ill., nine per cent to lmette, Ill., ten and five- A. Stuart, Denver,Colo., Fisher, Chicago, Ill., one

Marie Thoenen,

Elmwood Park, Ill.,

one per cent to George H. Fredericksen, Chicago, Ill., and one per centto E. M. Thorsen,

St. Joseph, Mo.

Application May 11, 1946, Serial No. 669,169

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to card filing equipment and more particularly tothe structure and arrangement of a multi-unit rotary card iile.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide amulti-unit rotary card file wherein the parts are constructed andarranged for ease and smoothness of operation.

As another object the invention comprehends the provision of a rotarycard file having a plurality of adjacent rotary card-carrying drumsmovable together as a unit and wherein cards are carried in dividedsection on the periphery of each drum and the sections of the drums arestaggered to promote smooth rotary operation.

For a further object, this invention has within its purview theprovision of a rotary card file wherein cards are carried in a pluralityof circumferentially disposed and axially spaced rows with the cardsgrouped in the rows and the planes of the cards in each row extendingaxially of the file, and wherein said cards are separablecircumferentially of the file and angularly movable relative to oneanother to facilitate their use; the grouping of the cards in the rowsbeing such that during rotation of the file the cards of the groups ofthe different rows pass the critical angle at which they fall in thedirection of rotation of the file at successively varying times.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings in which similarcharacters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings, of which there is one sheet,

Fig. l is a front View, partially in Vertical section and partially inelevation, of a rotary card le embodying one form of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the card le takensubstantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings, a plurality of card-carrying drums I are coaxially mounted inside by side relationship in a cabinet I2. The drums are supported forrotation together as a unit by a common shaft I3 to which they are eachsecured and which shaft extends between the opposed mid-portions of sideWalls II of the cabinet I2. The shaft is supported at its ends bycircular blocks I4 and I5, which blocks are attached, in opposedrelationship by appropriate means such as screws I8, to the inner facesof the side walls I I of the cabinet. By preference, an invertedL-shaped bracket I1 has a leg I8 secured to the inner surface of theblock I4 by appropriate fastening means such as screws I9. Another leg20 of the bracket carries a bearing housing 22 in which one end of theshaft is rotatably supported. In the other block I5 is a bearing bore 23wherein the other end of the shaft is rotatably mounted. For axiallyretaining the end of the shaft I3 within the bore 23, a collar 2li islocated on the shaft in abutment with the end of the bearing housing 22and is secured in place by means such as a cotter pin 25.

Desirably, the drums I0 are all substantially identical in construction,and a description of one drum will suffice for the others. Each drum lllpresents a cylindrical outer face 2B and carries a peripheralcard-carrying rail 21 which preferably extends around a medial linethereof. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the rail 21comprises a head portion 28 of substantially cylindrical section and aradial web portion 29 which extends inwardly of the drum into a slot inthe face 26.

For use with the disclosed type of card-holding rail, cards 30 havekeyhole type slots 32 at their inner edges. The portion of the railwhich protrudes beyond the drum face 2B, including the head 2B', isreceived Within the slots 32 of the cards, releasably to hold the cardsin peripherally slidable relationship relative to the drum.

Each rail 2'I carries a plurality of partitions or stops 33 securedthereto in equally spaced relationship around the periphery of the drum,so as to divide the rail into sections for limiting movements of groupsof cards on each drum. Thus, while the cards are free to slide on therail relative to the drum face, they are limited in their migration bythe stops 33.

When the wheels are rotated about the axis vof the shaft I3, the cardstend, by the action of gravity, to form V-shaped openings therebetween ashort distance forwardly of the vertical plane through the axis.

The partitions 33 are preferably very lowscarcely higher than the railhead, and need not be as wide as the cards. When thus placed andproportioned, their presence does not materially interfere with thearticulation of the cards upon the rails as they successively fallforwardly in the direction of movement of the drum from a substantiallyvertical position at the rear side of the V-shaped opening to asubstantially horizontal position at the front side of the V-shapedopening, as the wheel is rotated. The stops, however, limit the shiftingof the cards to a relatively small space on each drum.

In order to show how the rails, are secured to the drums, it isnecessary to understand the structure of the drum. Each drum ispreferably die cast in two like parts: a right half 34 and a left half35 which are secured togetherin` reversed positions. The identity of theparts: contributes to lower production costs.

When thus cast, each drumv comprises arim 36, a hub 3l and a set ofhollow spokes 38, all' of which are integral. .At the outer end' of.veach spoke and just within the rim, the two, halves are held together byrim assembly boltsv39.

are held together by hub assembly boltssll. The adjacent inner edges ofthe rim portions of the drum halves are spaced apart to form a slot 42for receiving the web portion 29 of therail; Tore.- duce the weight ofthe metal, the spokes 38. of the.

drums may be hollowed out. The slot 42 is deepened at the region of eachrim assembly bolt 39 to provide clearance for lugs 43 extendingin-Wardly from the web portion 29 of the rail. Each such lug 43 has athrough bore IM4 whichv receives the rim assembly bolt 39, whereby thebolt holds the rail against outward' movement from the slot 42.

The drums are xedly mounted ona shaft I3 so that they all turn together.In the present instance, this is done by key 45 inserted in a keyway 45which has a portion 41 in the shaft and a portion i8 in the hub of eachdrum.

While it is desirable for the drums to turnas a unit, it is notdesirable that the sections of cards on each drum should be aligned.Itis, however; desirable that the partitions on the drums should bestaggered relative to one another. The staggering of the sections variesthe times atv which the groups of cards contained therein, orsubstantial numbers thereof, pass the critical angle at which they fallin the direction of rotation of the drum during rotation. Since thedrums are substantially identical, the accomplishment of this staggeringof the partitions is effected by the .cutting of the keyways in the drumhubs in staggered relationship to each other. Thus, when the keyways inthe drums are aligned for insertion of the key, the partitions betweenthe sections of the drums are staggered relative to one another.

Due to a difference in air pressure against the exposed surfaces of, andbetween, adjacent. cards, they normally tend to fall forwardly ingroups, in each of the divided sections, during the. rotation of thedrums. However, the above mentioned staggered arrangement of thesections, the cards on each drum do not reach their'critical angle forfalling forwardly at the same time. Hence, the forward inertia of thefalling cards isV divided and minimized so as to smooth theY operationof the group of drums, althoughtheir close grouping and unitaryoperation makes them easily serviceable by a single operator seated. infront of the cabinet.

To rotate the unitary assembly in the disclosed embodiment of theinvention, there is provided a pulley 69 located between two of theadjacent drums. The pulley is drivingly connected' to the shaft I3 bythe key 45, so that upon rotation of the pulley wheel, the shaft anddrum will turn. The pulley 49 is driven, by a belt which, in turn, isdriven by a pulley 52, which pulley is drivingly connected to a shaft.53. and motor 54. The motor Similarly-, at the inner ends of thespokes,` the two halves is attached by appropriate means to the base ofand Within the cabinet I2. In a position convenient to the operator, apush button switch 58 is mounted *on the cabinet and connected to themotor for starting and stopping the multiple drum unit.

`For enclosure of the drums within the cabinet I2, an arcuate shaped top55 is mounted by segmental side panels 56, at each end thereof, on thecircular blocks I4 and I5. The circumferential surface of each blockserves as a bearing surface for the segmental side panels 56. When thetop of the cabinet is closed, it rests against a: stop strip 89 at theupper rim of the cabinet.

. When it is in the open position, as shown in Fig.

2, it isswung down backwardly and rests against stops 5^? secured to thebase on the inner side of the. cabinet. Attached to the base of thecabinet are casters 59 upon which the cabinet may be moved to anydesired location.

While a preferred embodiment of the'invention has been illustrated, manymodications'maybe made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and it is not the intent to be limited to the precise detailsof construction set forth, but the desire to include all changes withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In card filing equipment, the combination comprising a housingincluding side walls and having an opening at the top, an arcuate coverfor closing the opening, stationary blocks having circular outersurfaces, said blocks being secured in opposed positions to themid-portions of the inner surfaces of the housing side walls with theircircular outer surfaces in coaxial relationshipa rotary card filesupporting shaft extending between said blocks in concentricrelationship to the circular outer surfaces thereof, a bearing bracketsecured to one of said blocks and having secured thereto a journalbearing in which one end of the shaft is rotatably supported, the otherof said blocks having a bearing opening therein for rotatably supportingthe other end of the shaft, and said arcuate cover having side portionsincluding bearings in concentric relationship to the arcuate curvatureof thecover and carried for rotational movement to open and closedpositions on the circular outer surfaces of the blocks.

2. In card filing equipment as defined in claim 1, the combination beingfurther characterized by a collar secured to the shaft adjacent the end.of said journal bearing for locating the shaft axially relative to theblocks.

SOPHIE E. BRUEN, Erecutrzx of the Last Will and Testament of George C'.Bruen, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

